Mind-Body Medicine

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School of Mind-Body Medicine faculty member John Patterson will speak on Mindfulness on June 27 (5:30 PM Pacific) in Videoconference.

“Look at every path closely and deliberately. Try it as many times as you think necessary. Then ask yourself, and yourself alone, one question ... Does this path have a heart? If it does, the path is good; if it doesn't it is of no use. Both paths lead nowhere; but one has a heart, the other doesn't. One makes for a joyful journey; as long as you follow it, you are one with it. The other will make you curse your life. One makes you strong; the other weakens you.” The Teachings of Don Juan, Carlos Casteneda

Faculty and students in Saybrook’s School of Mind Body Medicine are participating in a transformational process that is expanding the biomedical model that has dominated health care, medicine and mental health for the last century. There have been many trail blazers of mind body medicine’s philosophy, knowledge and procedures, many of whom have been associated with Saybrook from its inception. As we follow these professional paths with gratitude, we will modify, refine and extend them. We will develop pedagogical, research and clinical approaches that draw from these historic roots and speak to today’s needs and challenges.

Prior to starting her studies at Saybrook, School of Mind Body Medicine, Patricia had been searching for a program that would expand her knowledge of mind-body medicine and help her to continue to integrate what she was already championing at the New Awakenings Counseling Clinic. Patricia owns and operates New Awakenings located in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The clinic serves approximately 700 people per month and of that figure 98% are mandated by the court system to be in treatment. Patricia finds that while initially the clients do not want to be in treatment, or at New Awakenings, something shifts after about 90 days and then clients want to stay. In fact, according to client satisfaction surveys 80-90% of respondents express that they want to continue to engage in services offered at New Awakenings, and of the 80-90% that want to stay, about 60% remain past their mandated treatment date, a testament to the influence of a client-centered practice that works with many different dimension of person.

LaVera Forbes recently completed her PhD in Mind Body Medicine, and has been actively creating her new professional identity. One of the ways she has accomplished this is presenting the research she conducted at Saybrook on the topic of obesity and food addiction at professional conferences. Her proposals have been accepted for the following conferences, and she awaits decisions for several others: The National Wellness Conference, the International Conference and Exhibition on Obesity and Weight Management, and the Health, Wellness, and Society Conference.

James S. Gordon, MD, was the founding Dean of the School of Mind-Body Medicine and a major influence in shaping the curriculum and courses of the School. On May 29 at 5:30 PM Pacific time he will present a videoconference for the Saybrook Mind-Body Medicine community on his lifelong and still evolving relationship with meditation.

Dr. Donald Moss is chair of the Saybrook University School of Mind-Body Medicine. Moss and a co-author Angele McGrady recently published a book on the lifestyle factors that contribute to illness and the approaches that human beings can take to restore their health. The book, Pathways to Illness, Pathways to Health, was published by Springer in March 2013. The message of this new book is summarized here.

The face of illness has changed, and human beings are eager for new approaches to pursue health and wellness. Increasing numbers of people seek out advice for health problems at the health food store, or visit Reiki energy healers, massage therapists, naturopaths, and other alternative medicine practitioners, instead of conventional medical care.

The American College of Traditional Chinese Medicine in San Francisco is teaming up with Saybrook University’s distance learning model for Mind-Body Medicine.

This week Saybrook University’s graduate School of Mind-Body Medicine signed an agreement with the San Francisco based American College of Traditional Chinese Medicine (ACTCM) to explore ways they can bring the best of 21st century western integrative health techniques to those studying traditional Chinese medicine – and bring the long-held wisdom of Chinese medicine to mainstream health practitioners.

The partnership will begin with a faculty member from ACTCM developing and teaching a course at Saybrook on “Whole Medical Systems” that includes the principles of Traditional Chinese Medicine, and will grow to include opportunities for students at each institution to take each other’s courses. Both institutions anticipate whole new degree offerings coming out of this partnership.

Rowan Silverberg is a student in the master's program in Saybrook University's School of Mind-Body Medicine. She has been working in the field of Mind-Body Medicine for over 20 years. Since 2005, she has worked as a Mental Skills Coach for professional baseball players, teaching them how to leverage the mind-body connection, using meditation, breathing techniques, and yoga. She is also employed by a Fortune 500 Company, as a massage/yoga therapist in an on-site holistic primary care center, where she has worked since 1991. Patients she sees in the primary care center have a variety of acute and chronic medical conditions, ranging from neck and back pain to rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, and migraines. In addition to her work in the clinic, she leads stress management presentations throughout the company and offers personal coaching.

Peter Amato operates two integrative wellness centers, both named Inner Harmony. The first is in his hometown of Scranton, Pennsylvania and the second is on the island of St. Maarten in the Caribbean. The Scranton center is situated on the campus of the Regional Hospital of Scranton (formerly Mercy Hospital). Both centers provide holistic healthcare, based on a model of healing mind, body, and spirit.

Jana Downum is a PhD student in the School of Mind-Body Medicine, with a specialization in healthcare practice. She is also a biofeedback therapist working for Pate Rehabilitation in Dallas, Texas. Her patients at Pate Rehabilitation typically present with traumatic brain injury, and she is able to help patients better manage their stress and pain, and improve their sleep.

Beth A. Haggett completed her Ph.D. in Saybrook’s School of Mind-Body Medicine in January 2013, with a specialization in Health Care Systems. She accepted a position as Director of Product Development for Zenger-Folkman, a well-respected company specializing in Strengths-Based Leadership. This was an unexpected career move that was both exciting and intimidating. Transitioning from a demanding but flexible research and study schedule to a 40 plus hour workweek with much less flexibility was a concern for her.